Under the Central government's Namaste Yojana, six women from Telangana and Delhi have set an example of entrepreneurship and leadership while securing their livelihoods in the sanitation and waste management sectors. With institutional support and mechanization, these women have chosen a path to a dignified future for themselves and their community.
In Sircilla, Telangana, five sanitation workers — Anusha Reddy, Kavitha Goud, Swati Yadav, Sreelatha Naidu and Madhavi Kumar — worked as assistants in septic tank cleaning under private contractors. They earned an average monthly income of ₹15,000 from this work, but starting an independent enterprise was difficult due to limited resources.
Dawn of mechanized sanitation and entrepreneurship
After learning about the Swachhta Udyami Yojana (SUY) during a local loan fair, these five women decided to jointly establish a mechanized sanitation enterprise. Receiving financial assistance under the scheme, they purchased machine-equipped septic tank cleaning vehicles and began their services under the Sircilla Municipal Corporation.
This transformation shifted them from being sanitation assistants to collective owners of mechanized sanitation services. This strengthened their economic self-reliance and reduced their dependence on risky manual scavenging methods.
Community leadership in Seemapuri, Delhi
Similarly, in Seemapuri, Delhi, Anita — originally from Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh — journeyed from ragpicking to community leadership. After joining a self-help group, she became the group's president and started working as a senior coordinator in a local non-governmental organization.
After joining the National Action for Mechanized Sanitation Ecosystem (Namaste) scheme, she received workplace safety training, personal protective equipment (PPE) and an Ayushman card. Working with the NGO also fetched her an additional monthly income of ₹10,000, enabling her to play an active role in raising awareness among other ragpickers.